Myriad Birds: A Kyōka Competition (Momo chidori kyōka awase) c. 1790

Curator: Kitagawa Utamaro's woodblock printed book, "Myriad Birds: A Kyoka Competition," dates from the late Edo period. The delicate texture of the cover is immediately striking. Editor: It does have a wonderful aged quality. But beyond that, I'm drawn to the stark contrast of the dark blue against the gold rectangles. It feels very formal, almost like a ledger. Curator: That formality speaks to the Kyoka tradition, which involved highly structured and witty poetry competitions among Edo-period literati. Editor: So, the book cover itself signals a space for intellectual exchange and status? Curator: Precisely. The visual design reflects the elevated social function of the poetry it contains. Editor: A fascinating interplay between form and function, indeed. It makes you consider the way social structures are often embedded in art. Curator: Yes, and how the visual language of an object can hint at its purpose. The cover prepares us for the poetic contents within.